Friday, January 16, 2009
Friendships
It is good to spend time with old friends. Yesterday, I got to spend a few hours of time with my youngest "old" friend Britt. She and I had time to eat dinner, play scrabble, and do some catching up. It was a lot of fun. And we didn't even plan to see each other!
This year I have been "finding" old friends on Facebook. In the fall, I found Vangie, my college room mate that I accidentally lost touch with for 15 years or so. During a Conference release day, I went to Michigan City and we met with each other, spent the day talking and rekindled a fabulous friendship. We have very little professional stuff in common and share no common friends anymore so it was great to reconnect. And to be able to talk about anything and know that it will never get around to anyone else!
Today was my second conference release day. Believe it or not, I found yet another friend from high school on Facebook a few weeks ago and she lives about an hour away from me! So, today I was going to get the kids on the bus and head up there for a visit. Julie was a friend that I shared A LOT of time with during my first two years of high school. We wrote notes back and forth everyday. Sometimes we would write 2 or 3 notes! It was fun. She was fun. So I was excited to rekindle another past friendship.
Enter Mother Nature. Last night we got dumped on by lake effect snow. As I traveled home from conferences, I had a good feeling that my children would have a snow day. When I woke up at 5a.m. this morning my hunches became a reality and with the temperature at -8 and the snow blowing all over, the kids had no school. Julie also had let me know that the roads were very bad up there as well. So, I sadly canceled the outing. Maybe in February......
OH, the best news of all. After 3 years of praying that Madison would find a neighborhood friend our prayers were answered. Tillie, a 5th grade tomboy that plays with little petshop pets and is very smart, moved in 4 houses down last week. They have played outside and at her house and Maddie is in friendship heaven. I think this will make our summer go faster!
Next Friday, my friend Cheryl and I will become room mates for a few days in order to attend a music conference. We have promised each other that we are going to play less cards and attend more sessions. I will let you know how that promise works out!
So, there you have it. Friendships all around.
Blessings for a great day,
Heidi
This year I have been "finding" old friends on Facebook. In the fall, I found Vangie, my college room mate that I accidentally lost touch with for 15 years or so. During a Conference release day, I went to Michigan City and we met with each other, spent the day talking and rekindled a fabulous friendship. We have very little professional stuff in common and share no common friends anymore so it was great to reconnect. And to be able to talk about anything and know that it will never get around to anyone else!
Today was my second conference release day. Believe it or not, I found yet another friend from high school on Facebook a few weeks ago and she lives about an hour away from me! So, today I was going to get the kids on the bus and head up there for a visit. Julie was a friend that I shared A LOT of time with during my first two years of high school. We wrote notes back and forth everyday. Sometimes we would write 2 or 3 notes! It was fun. She was fun. So I was excited to rekindle another past friendship.
Enter Mother Nature. Last night we got dumped on by lake effect snow. As I traveled home from conferences, I had a good feeling that my children would have a snow day. When I woke up at 5a.m. this morning my hunches became a reality and with the temperature at -8 and the snow blowing all over, the kids had no school. Julie also had let me know that the roads were very bad up there as well. So, I sadly canceled the outing. Maybe in February......
OH, the best news of all. After 3 years of praying that Madison would find a neighborhood friend our prayers were answered. Tillie, a 5th grade tomboy that plays with little petshop pets and is very smart, moved in 4 houses down last week. They have played outside and at her house and Maddie is in friendship heaven. I think this will make our summer go faster!
Next Friday, my friend Cheryl and I will become room mates for a few days in order to attend a music conference. We have promised each other that we are going to play less cards and attend more sessions. I will let you know how that promise works out!
So, there you have it. Friendships all around.
Blessings for a great day,
Heidi
Saturday, January 10, 2009
SNOW
Today was a snow day. It was a perfect set up for a great day off. The snow began to fall yesterday around 2 p.m. and it never stopped until about 7p.m. tonight. It is really too bad this didn't happen on a school day because I think we would been given at least two days off. Here is a great picture of how much snow we got. I pulled it off our local news site. I don't really know this man but I thought his smile was great!
I forgot to take a picture when it was light outside (hence the "stranger man" picture) but I would estimate that we got about 14-16 inches. Tomorrow the "snow guns" fire up for some lake effect snow event which means we will pick up a few more inches before it is all over.
Today I sat and looked outside. It was a very unproductive day. Sometimes I need those kind of days. The kids went to the neighbor's house for a few hours. The house was completely silent. It was heaven on earth. I pretended I was in a snow globe except no one was shaking me violently every 10 seconds to make the snow swirl. Life is good.
Make it a great day.
Blessings,
Heidi
Friday, January 9, 2009
Surviving Vs. Thriving
It is so hard to keep up with things lately! I haven't mentioned this on my blog (I don't think), but I am teaching an overload at school and it is really starting to catch up with me.
Last summer, my principal shared with me that he was "worried" about me last spring because of the amount of extra activity that happens in the auditorium during May and June. It seems that everyone wants to have a piece of space during these months. We had two dance recitals, two graduations, five concerts, and a vast amount of meetings, etc. I remember that I said to Stu once or twice "Well, I will see you next week". And it was only Monday night.
In order to make this year "easier", my principal and I thought it would be better if I taught 4 classes in the winter and then only two choir classes in the Spring. So, I am running the auditorium from 7:30-8:45 each morning and then I teach from 8:50-2:35 with one break at 12:47 for lunch. It is in one word, overwhelming. I feel like I am working at full strength each and every day and I still can't stay ahead. To make things more challenging, I am teaching a brand new guitar class that has no curriculum. I am embarrassed to admit that for many days in a row, I have planned out what I am going to do at 1:17 (guitar), during my lunch break.
I am bound and determined to thrive not just survive during 2009. I need to get back to exercising. And planning healthy meals. But maybe that will have to wait until March. March 5th to be exact. That will end the marking period.
So until then, I guess I just settle. And work as hard as I can. And pray for LOTS of snowdays!
By the way, we are getting a big storm tonight! Too bad it's Friday!
Blessings,
Heidi
Last summer, my principal shared with me that he was "worried" about me last spring because of the amount of extra activity that happens in the auditorium during May and June. It seems that everyone wants to have a piece of space during these months. We had two dance recitals, two graduations, five concerts, and a vast amount of meetings, etc. I remember that I said to Stu once or twice "Well, I will see you next week". And it was only Monday night.
In order to make this year "easier", my principal and I thought it would be better if I taught 4 classes in the winter and then only two choir classes in the Spring. So, I am running the auditorium from 7:30-8:45 each morning and then I teach from 8:50-2:35 with one break at 12:47 for lunch. It is in one word, overwhelming. I feel like I am working at full strength each and every day and I still can't stay ahead. To make things more challenging, I am teaching a brand new guitar class that has no curriculum. I am embarrassed to admit that for many days in a row, I have planned out what I am going to do at 1:17 (guitar), during my lunch break.
I am bound and determined to thrive not just survive during 2009. I need to get back to exercising. And planning healthy meals. But maybe that will have to wait until March. March 5th to be exact. That will end the marking period.
So until then, I guess I just settle. And work as hard as I can. And pray for LOTS of snowdays!
By the way, we are getting a big storm tonight! Too bad it's Friday!
Blessings,
Heidi
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